Apparatus and process for gas-solids separation

A gas-solids separator, comprising:

• a vessel having a flue gas inlet, an entrained solids outlet, and a clean gas outlet;
• an upstream tube sheet and a downstream tube sheet within the vessel and defining therewith a gas inlet chamber fluidly coupled to the flue gas inlet, an entrained solids chamber fluidly coupled to the entrained solids outlet, and a clean gas chamber fluidly coupled to the clean gas outlet;
• and
• a cyclonic separator, comprising:
• a cyclone barrel extending into the entrained solids chamber and fluidly coupled to the flue gas inlet;
• a swirl vane positioned in an upstream end of the cyclone barrel;
• a gas outlet centrally disposed in a downstream end of the cyclone barrel and fluidly coupling the gas inlet chamber to the clean gas chamber;
• a solids outlet peripherally disposed in the downstream end of the cyclone barrel and fluidly connected to the entrained solids outlet;
• and
• a cap extending radially above an upstream end of the swirl vane.

A process for separating solids from gas comprising:

• directing a solid-laden gas to a cyclonic separator;
• shielding direct entry into said cyclonic separator that includes swirl vane with a cap;
• limiting said solid-laden gas access to said swirl blades but around a downstream end of said cap;
• contacting said solid-laden gas with swirl blades which induce the solid laden gas to swirl in a cyclone;
• and
• separating solids from said gas by centripetal acceleration.